{"id":401,"date":"2012-03-08T14:43:44","date_gmt":"2012-03-08T14:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=401"},"modified":"2012-03-08T14:43:44","modified_gmt":"2012-03-08T14:43:44","slug":"var-_gaq-_gaq-_gaq-push_setaccount-ua-25646250-2-_gaq-push_trackpageview-function-var-ga-document-createelementscript-ga-type-textjava-29","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=401","title":{"rendered":"<script type=\"text\/javascript\">    var _gaq = _gaq || [];   _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-25646250-2']);   _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);    (function() {     var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text\/javascript'; ga.async = true;     ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:\/\/ssl' : 'http:\/\/www') + '.google-analytics.com\/ga.js';     var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);   })();  <\/script>  <\/heat> Session 20 \u2013 Held on Sunday, Mar 4, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>God or Country \/ God and Country<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I asked our group this question, which of these two statements most adequately expresses how you think Catholics actually act?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>I am a citizen of theUnited Stateswho happens to be a Christian.<\/li>\n<li>I am a Christian who happens to be a citizen of theUnited States.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Which of these two statements reflect your own position?\u00a0 My question might have been understood differently by some members of the group.\u00a0 The outcome though was that eleven members selected the first statement as expressing not what Catholics that they know think but how they act; while four selected the second statement.<\/p>\n<p>Once again the comments were revealing.<\/p>\n<p>Tim shared how he went back and forth as he attempted to apply the two statements to himself.\u00a0 He loves his country and has been taught from his earliest age to put God first.\u00a0 For him this choice is a struggle.\u00a0 I was taken by the fact that Tim acknowledged the struggle involved.\u00a0 That seemed genuine to me.\u00a0 What matters from my point of view is the very fact of the struggle.\u00a0 There certainly isn\u2019t anything wrong with patriotism unless patriotism takes the place of God.\u00a0 Then we have lost both God and Country.\u00a0 But to make those choices in the concrete is a struggle.<\/p>\n<p>Ken said that this struggle is clear when it comes time to vote.\u00a0 The teachings of the Church are clear on some points but there are others things that affect our country.\u00a0 And to evaluate a particular candidate or issue is complex and he is not always sure what the right thing to do is.<\/p>\n<p>For Heber it was clear to him that going through RCIA had definitely changed his perspective.\u00a0 Before that experience he would have clearly chosen the first statement but after that experience and attendance at these scripture gatherings he has changed and would choose the second statement.<\/p>\n<p>Jodie observed how the group talked in terms of \u201cshould\u201d but thought that how we actually act doesn\u2019t always match the \u201cshould.\u201d In fact, she though that it was not possible to be a perfect Christian and a citizen of theUnited States.<\/p>\n<p>Mark brought up the conflict between personal decisions and social decisions, especially concerning war.\u00a0 Should I as a Christian become a solider?\u00a0 Be trained to kill?\u00a0 But should our country not have an army?\u00a0 What are we to do?\u00a0 And if you are responsible for our country, say like the President, and as President you are a Christian, what are you to do?\u00a0 What do you think he should do?<\/p>\n<p>The greatest thing is the very fact that a group of adults can have an open and honest discussion of what are important, passionate and complex matters?\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t that attract you?\u00a0 You can join us on line or every Sunday at St. Anthony All Saints from 9:15 \u2013 10:45.\u00a0 You would be more than welcomed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>God or Country \/ God and Country I asked our group this question, which of these two statements most adequately expresses how you think Catholics actually act? I am a citizen of theUnited Stateswho happens to be a Christian. I &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=401\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,5],"tags":[12,18],"class_list":["post-401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-scripture","tag-catholic-position","tag-religion-and-culture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=401"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401\/revisions\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}